Wagashi-Japanese Sweets おいしい！＾＾

 I'm a Japanese food lover especially the Japenese Sweet which call Wagashi
Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made mochi,  azuki bean paste(red bean paste), and fruits.Wagashi is typically made from natural (mainly plant) ingredients. The names used for wagashi commonly fit a formula—a natural beauty and a word from ancient literature.Japanese sweets has over twelve-hundred history, it originated from the Chinese elixir of life.

In Edo period, it had incorporated the technique of the western sweets. After over hundreds years' harmonizing of both sweets, Japanese sweets had established as one of the Japanese own cultures. 

Japanese sweets is full of seasonal taste and consisted of aesthetic sense and colors of four seasons, such as a pink colored rice cake rolled with cherry leaf in spring, as a sweet jellied bean paste in summer. Most of names of Japanese sweets are based with the beauties and scenes of the nature, traditional Japanese poetries, literature, local history, name of the place and etc.

And also, Japanese sweets is very important fact on various cultural events of Japanese people's life, such from a birth to entry to school to marriage to funeral. 

Wagashi are classified according to the production method and moisture content. Moisture content is very important since it affects the best-before date.

• Namagashi
 (生菓子) (wet confectionery)—contains 30% or more moisture.

• Jō namagashi
 (上生菓子), very soft and delicate seasonally varying namagashi, in various, often elaborate, shapes and colors, often reflecting seasonal plants. Some stores will have many dozens over the course of a year.

• Mochi
mono (もち物)

• Mushi
mono (蒸し物)

• Yaki
mono (焼き物)

• Hiranabe
mono (平なべ物)

• Ōbun
mono (オーブン物)

• Nagashi
mono (流し物)

• Neri
mono (練り物)

• Age mono
 (揚げ物)

• Han namagashi
 (半生菓子) (half-wet confectionery)—contains 10%–30% moisture.

• An mono
 (あん物)

• Oka
mono (おか物)

• Yaki
mono (焼き物)

• Hiranabe
mono (平なべ物)

• Ōbun
mono (オーブン物)

• Nagashi
mono (流し物)

• Neri
mono (練り物)

• Higashi
(干菓子) (dry confectionery)—contains 10% or less moisture.

• Uchi
mono (打ち物)

• Oshi
mono (押し物)

• Kake
mono (掛け物)

• Yaki
mono (焼き物)

• Ame mono
 (あめ物)

After a trip to Japan last year in 2010, I totally fall in love with Wagashi.  It is the ultimate intersection with food and art which I respect very much! ^ ^ 

It is an invitation to indulge all five sense:-

Taste

Appearance

Scent

Texture

  

Sound

Japanese cuisine- 日本料理 has it unique inner philosophy. The food look simple, but it does not simply just food. From ingredients to technique, the Japanese always demanding for perfection.Japanese cuisine is simple but difficult. Because the steps are simple, therefore, every details must have a certain quality and standard, that any short cuts is not allowed. Just like the calligraphy, simple but not easy！ (简单，不简单) The Japanese will always hold  with their philosophy of ' I'm with my sincere heart to make the best food for you!' and very importantly, they take care of the food hygiene as well. This is actually part of the philosophy too. (GKP -good kitchen practice, 厨德 )

They are so lovely and is very hard to eat them! ^ ^

          My Wagashi learning experiences:-

My first experience of doing wagashi is with Ikuko san (郁子), she taught me how to make dango丸子. It really look simple initially. With very simple ingredients(only 2 ingredients for foaming the dango, and 3 ingredient for the seasoning) and steps, you can make dango.  

So, when I try to make it on my own at home, I fail for more then 5 times and started to think whether I had brought the wrong ingredient?? The dango that I made couldn't float in the boiling water, it was so sticky and taste like uncooked. 

Hoho! And then comes one day, I was struggling because couldn't sleep for the whole night, even though I have tried many ways. Then, I told myself 'why not go and do dango?' ^ ^ Eventually, I had made it after a few tries!! とても　嬉しかった！(^ ^)v  It actually taste like our Chinese traditional food Tang Yuan, 汤圆.  

これは　いちご大福.(ichigo daifuku) This was the second experience of learning to make wagashi. My sensei is Hiromi san (宏実)，she have been teaching wagashi in Japan for many years and yet she is still doing it after she moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!   ^ ^  

I got to know her from my Mandarin class. She made lots of wonderful Japanese sweets and she have her website at http://yorokombu.exblog.jp/ (in Japanese) 

Daifuku mean happiness. Again, very less ingredients needed, but I had tried many times, it doesn't really work out. =_= Taste, appearance, texture... ぜんぜん　だめ.  

A dull edge utensil use for tasting wagashi. Beautiful!

My last try was on last Sunday, had shown little progress of improvement. ^ ^ Finally, able to share some with friends. 

I really wish that the person who ate them, felt the happiness. This was my wish when made this Daifuku. For me, food represent the heart of a person who made it. Therefore, I always believe that, if I put in the spirit of love, then, the person who ate them can get the love and felt lucky for the whole day. ^ ^ 

Butter and milk is rarely used in the wagashi cooking, therefore, it is suitable for everybody. It can also be pretty sweet which goes well with strong green tea. 

When I learn to make daifuku with Hiromi san, I have got a chance to see the tea ceremony. These are all the utensils(chawan-tea bowl, natsume-green tea powder container, chasen-the bamboo tea-whisk, chashaku-green tea macha scoop,etc) that needed during the tea ceremony. Amazing! seeing her making the macha green tea. 

She took the Chasen in the right hand and hold the Chawan with the left hand to make sure it doesn’t tumble over when whisking. Whisk the Oyu and Macha to froth with about half of the Chawan covered with foam.  When the green-tea froth is well mixed, finish by drawing a の (No) shape in the Chawan so that the foam floats in the center.  

WAU! ^ ^ とても　おいしかった。。。 

Fruit Basket

 I came across with this wonderful song  few years ago. And wanna share it out here. . .A very meaningful song. 

For Fruits Basket by: Ritsuko Okazaki (岡崎 律子)

とてもうれしかったよ　君が笑いかけてた
すべてを溶かす微笑みで

春はまだ遠くて　つめたい土の中で
芽吹く瞬間（とき）を待っていたんだ

たとえば苦しい今日だとしても
昨日の傷を残していても
信じたい　心ほどいてゆけると

生まれ変わることはできないよ
だけど変わってはいけるから
Let's stay together　いつも

僕だけに笑って　その指で　ねえ触って
望みばかりが果てしなく

やさしくしたいよ　もう悔やまぬように
嘆きの海も越えていこう

たとえば苦しい今日だとしても
いつかあたたかな想い出になる
心ごとすべてなげだせたなら

ここに生きてる意味がわかるよ
生まれおちた歓びを知る
Let's stay together　いつも

たとえば苦しい今日だとしても
いつかあたたかな想い出になる
心ごとすべてなげだせたなら

ここに生きてる意味がわかるよ
生まれおちた歓びを知る
Let's stay together　いつも

Meaning:-

I was so happy, you were laughing
With a smile that melts everything away

Spring is still far away, inside the cold earth,
Waiting for the time to sprout

For instance, even if today is painful
And yesterday's wounds remain
I want to believe that I can free my heart and go on

I cannot be reborn
But I can change as I go on, so
Let's stay together always

Smile only at me and touch me with those fingers
This simple desire is everlasting

I want to be gentle, like no longer regretting
Let's get across this sea of mournful sorrow

For instance, even if today is painful
Someday it will become a warm memory
If you leave everything up to your heart

I understand the meaning our living here
It is to know the joy of having been born
Let's stay together always

For instance, even if today is painful
Someday it will become a warm memory
If you leave everything up to your heart

I understand the meaning our living here
It is to know the joy of having been born
Let's stay together always

When I first listened to this song, I was totally attracted by the voice of the singer. So soft, so gentle and was full of love...

Ritsuko Okazaki (岡崎 律子)was born in Hashima Island, Nagasaki Prefecture on 29 December 1959.

Okazaki made her debut as a singer-songwriter in 1993. During the nineties, she continued singing and also wrote songs for seiyūs.

From 2000, she became more involved with anime and composed several songs for Wedding Peach, Fruits Basket, Princess Tutu,Symphonic Rain and Love Hina. She formed the duo, Melocure in 2002 with singer-songwriter Megumi Hinata.

In the following two years, the duo released several singles and an album, Melodic Hard Cure. Okazaki also produced songs during these years for artists such as Megumi Hayashibara, Mayumi Iizuka, and Yui Horie.

Her work consists mainly of ballads and can be categorised within the spectrum of Japanese music as most closely related to J-Pop. According to her fans, the lyrics of Okazaki's songs are characterized by poetic imagery, depth of emotion, gentle optimism and simplicity.

On May 5, 2004, Ritsuko Okazaki died suddenly at the age of 44 from septic shock as a result of septicemia. She was unable to speak any last words, and left her work unfinished.

Before that, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2003 but still continued with her work. During this time there was little information released about her. The news was revealed to the public in the liner notes of the CD soundtrack re-release of the visual novel Symphonic Rain, which was released a year after her death.

I felt so pity, when I got to know such a great person, she had gone...

Wish to listen more 。。。 。。。

Around you, have you ever realize there is someone who is really great? Your family, your friends, your partners... Love them and thanks them when you still have the chance to do so...

Life ain't easy, but live it！^^

----Today, let us commemorate this musician.----










Reference:- "PROFILE" (in Japanese). 岡崎律子 BOOK.
                         "DISCOGRAPHY" (in Japanese). 岡崎律子 BOOK.
                         Okazaki Ritsuko's official homepage (Japanese)